Haldia, April 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal for its alleged misrule and appealed to voters to remove the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing a gathering in Haldia, the constituency of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, the prime minister claimed that the ruling dispensation in the state was "dragging Bengal back" and promised six guarantees to the people once the BJP wins the elections.
He promised that a BJP government in the state will replace the TMC's reign of 'fear' with that of 'trust', while all public servants will be held accountable to the people.
Modi also pledged that the BJP will reopen all files on corruption and crimes against women "that the TMC has suppressed," and all leaders involved in graft will be jailed.
"Government facilities will be made available to all genuine citizens, and infiltrators will not be allowed to stay in this country," Modi told the gathering.
He also promised that once the BJP forms a government in the state, "we will implement the 7th Pay Commission for state employees, teachers, and those working in related sectors".
Targeting the TMC dispensation over the development issue, Modi said, "While the country is moving forward, the TMC's 'cruel government' is dragging Bengal back".
"To usher in a 'Developed Bengal', it is essential that the party is removed from power," the prime minister said.
He also alleged that the "TMC cheated Bengal's youth on two counts – destroyed the private sector and looted government posts for money".
"Investment does not come in an atmosphere of fear, but in a climate of trust that the BJP will bring to Bengal," Modi said at the industrial hub.
He accused the TMC of following a "religion-based reservation policy to secure its vote bank".
"The huge turnout at the rally despite bad weather is an indication of change in Bengal, and a sign of TMC's exit," the prime minister asserted.
Referring to Adhikari's win against Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls, Modi expressed confidence that the poll result in Nandigram five years ago will be repeated in Bhabanipur this time.
Adhikari is pitted against the incumbent chief minister at her bastion in south Kolkata's Bhabanipur this time.
Criticising the Trinamool Congress, Modi said, "Even in 100 years, the TMC cannot absolve itself of the sins it committed against Bengal's youth".
Advocating for a double-engine government in West Bengal, the prime minister told the gathering in Haldia that the state "would not benefit by opposing the PM, but will only profit when a PM and a CM act in unison".
He promised the people of West Bengal that the BJP would make the state self-sufficient in fisheries and the seafood sector, while highlighting that the BJP government at the Centre has set up a dedicated ministry for the welfare of the fisherfolk and allotted a record budget for them.